


The Birth of Broken Author

by BensonTheWriter227



Series: Lore Pieces: The Remakes [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Dark Past, F/M, Horror, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Literature, Past Lives, Referenced History, Sad, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28485195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BensonTheWriter227/pseuds/BensonTheWriter227
Summary: Before the infamous transformation into Broken Author, we delve in into Andy Edwardson's troubled and mysterious past. What was his life like? How slowly has it crumbled in front of his eyes? And what happened to him that led to the creation of the Tar Beast?(Setting: November 23rd, 2003)
Series: Lore Pieces: The Remakes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086548





	The Birth of Broken Author

**Author's Note:**

> What do we have here?
> 
> The remake of the first ever lore piece: https://www.deviantart.com/brokenauthor/art/Hello-Deviants-Broken-Author-s-Origins-744203546
> 
> Seems like due to both of the earlier lore pieces becoming outdated, as well as the increased complexity of the plot from the saga in general, I guess it's safe to say that it's time to remake some of them with my updated writing style. What better way to do so than with the very first piece that details Andy Edwardson's transformation into Broken Author?
> 
> Enjoy!

This is the final day Andy Edwardson will enjoy his life as a human being.

Inside the large library designed like a complex maze, with twists and turns of every large bookshelf that has tons and tons of books the failing author has picked up for the past years, above the door that leads to the outside lies a golden sign, with words 'ANDY'S LIBRARY' etched onto it. The dust is gradually being collected, and even spider webs have been formed on various shelves, with few of them having spiders quietly crawling onto their hand-made house, patiently waiting for prey to catch upon. The consistent sound of typing is filling in onto the huge room, coming out of the typewriter, Andy's preferred way of writing his work. The author is seen sitting on the middle, comfy red chair with gold metal highlights, with the only the lamp being the provider of light, showcasing his bald, wrinkled balloon-shaped head, having no eyes, leaving just empty black holes, a strange looking orange nose, wearing a black vest with light-grey lines, a buttoned, crumpled shirt beneath it, dark-grey jeans, and brown shoes.

Right now, he's typing the final chapter of the finale to his series 'Noah Devon', which is set in the Kingdom of Anshan, a land (later, with no explanation given, revealed to be a game location/hub from the fictional MMORPG game, similar in a way to Ultima Online, "The Hunt of Talons" in the third book, 'Secrets of Anshan') filled with mystical creatures, dangerous mages and corrupt dictators. It stars the titular paladin, Noah Devon (or rather, a character controlled by a young boy going by Callus Binghamton, or 'Erro922' as his username in the game), accompanied with his allies, originally consisting of elf archer Derricks Hampton (controlled by Daren Hemstitch, Callus' best friend, going by his online handle 'QuarronHemingston0249'), and a goofy gigantic bear pet Perrot. Later on, in the second book 'New Quests', Devon would later gain a new ally after the completion of the quest, which revolved around saving someone from a band of cobra-panther hybrids, a dual wielder, named Mary Herniation (Jenna Archibald, or 'MissMasterWielder', who would later become Callus' girlfriend by the end of 'Secrets of Anshan'). While the first book was praised for the fun premise involving a made-up MMORPG, fun characters, interesting world-building, and fast-paced, yet intense action; criticism was slowly mounting with each succeeding book, with contrived revelations and plot twists, the writing gradually becoming more and more incomprehensible, which may suggest that Andy's worsening life is leaking out onto his work, and the main characters themselves going through severe doses of flanderization.

Not helping matters was Edwardson's reaction to criticism, with what starting out as justifications of contrived twists, such as 'you're simply uneducated' or 'you're not looking deep enough into the lore', later gradually morphing into name-calling and insults to both critics and his fans, calling them 'jerks', 'morons', et cetera. When he finally realized of what was he doing, it was too late, as by the next convention hosted by what little remained of his fanbase, he proclaimed, that the final book, "The Last Quest", is where the main characters the fans grew to like, would be killed off, essentially delivering a big 'fuck you' to fans. That was the breaking point for the Noah Devon fandom, the fans finally understanding that beneath the friendly facade that Andy used, he's actually a bitter, angry, and thin-skinned author who doesn't give a fuck about them.

But even when he has driven the remainder of his fans away, he's only committed to one thing: to finally end the four-book saga with Devon, even when defeating Tyrone, the main villain, dying, and Callus eventually quitting the game for good, upon seeing the hero die permanently, and meeting his friend and girlfriend face to face for the first time.

Suddenly, by the time he has finished the cliched exposition between the two before the dreaded battle between Noah and the sticky tar monster, created by Tyrone as his guardian, he stops just after he types the dot, bringing back the silence to his favourite place. Then, moments later, the sound of each paper being taken off the typewriter and later torn off is heard, signifying that Andy has run out of fresh ideas on how to conclude the last chapter.

"Goddammit, now I can't even finish this godforsaken book!" he exclaims angrily, throwing off the pieces to the trash bin, before slumping down and huffing in frustration.

Andy begins to scratch his bald head, wondering on just how he has gotten to the point. On how his life has crumbled to dust.

Even when he was a child, he couldn't remember on what happened before. Is it a case of peculiar amnesia, that was accidentally given to him at a genetic level? Or is it a hereditary way, in which in one out of thousand people in any kind of family, a child would be born with a different kind of amnesia, that only vividly recalls what happens recently? Who knows for sure. All he knows is he was born in the mid-1950s, somewhere around Southern California, in the gradually rising mountain, known as Cold War, an ideological proxy war between the capitalist United States and its Western allies and the totalitarian, communist Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact, later joined by its communist allies (or comrades), to an influential Edwardson family. The family had eight children by the time Andy was born, all of them providing money for their parents through their innate talent. All he knows is he was spoiled rotten right from the beginning, his parents buying gift after gift, was home-schooled until the seventh grade, later got Bachelor's Degree for literature after graduation and started writing in 1974.

He began writing short stories, mostly fantasy and drama, and the occasional poem, to test out his skills, and only sent his completed work to his closest friends at the time, who praised him for the way he described things, like nature and people.

That praise was a jumping point for his blooming career as a writer. And his life was only beginning to get better.

The short stories eventually grew into novels, with his first one, 'Young And Old Jacob', a drama about the titular boy meeting his future homeless, old self and gradually learning on how he has gotten to this point, published in 1981, received a decent reception and despite selling 500 thousand copies, it was a success, nonetheless. The Edwardson family was very proud for their ninth child for finally finding a viable job, of becoming independent. It wasn't until the 'Noah Devon' series, the first book of which, 'Welcome to the Kingdom of Anshan', published in 1986, five years after the first novel, that his profession became something out of a legend, gaining an adoring fandom, money, fame, even a potential movie adaptation, that sadly got cancelled, due to the Edwardson family believing the producers might not faithfully adapt the source material.

But what the success presented next was something that Edwardson treasured so much.

At some point, in 1989, at one of the galas to celebrate his birthday, while talking to his grown-up buddies he met at university and fans of his books, along with drinking champagne, he accidentally stumbled upon a crowd. It was wooed by the beautiful painting of a young woman with exquisite feminine features, sporting gorgeous forest-green eyes, a poofy, yet regal white dress with familiar leafy patterns sprinkled in, playing the harp, gently plucking those sensitive metal strings, accompanied by several animals listening intently to what she was playing. When Andy pressed a question on who drew that masterpiece, one of his friends, the then 25-year-old Patrick J. Barns, introduced him to Daniella Doyle, the one behind the drawing. From that point, he had finally had the courage to ask her out, and that became the story of its own right.

That sweetheart Daniella: the gorgeous raven-haired and hazel-eyed woman, whom Edwardson secretly had been trying to have a date with her, ever since he had met her in one of the art classes, during his college years. Even after he had graduated, the warmth and compassion in her eyes and that innocent smile she'd have on her face still would figuratively make his heart melt. Her personality was another factor of her appeal: she was loyal, compassionate, fun and kind. One time, when he was on the writer's block, and at one point, was on the verge of a mental breakdown, she suggested him to take a break, take some walks with her and dating with Doyle. With each successful date between both of them, their relationship gradually grew more and more romantic.

Eventually, in 1994, during a picnic she had set up just for him, probably to celebrate the new release of his second book of 'Noah Devon', "New Quests", Edwardson finally put the courage to the test and asked her an important and life-changing question: will he marry her? To say Daniella was surprised was an understatement, what with her teary eyes and a surprised, yet very elated reaction to this. And so, the preparing for marriage went as smooth as a gentle ride of a boat through the sea, a dream he often had when he started dating his sweetheart. The next year, in February, at one of the local churches in Colorado, where he had ended up relocating even before the wedding proposal, Andy and Daniella were finally wed to the loud ovation of both his friends and his now old family.

More joy from the married couple came around within the next two years. Not only Andy and Daniella (who now had changed her surname to the same one he has) were able to adopt a child, for whom they'd named Thomas in 1996, but also, in November of 1997, a key point had arrived: the latter was pregnant with a child, that would be named Cole.

The pregnancy and the looming possibility of him having to raise both an adopted child and a naturally born kid was not only a shocking term of events, but along came the first, yet subtle cracks in his life. For one, the aforementioned series that used to define him as a gifted writer was beginning to get mounted with criticism by the time 'Secrets of Anshan' was published in October. Sure, the flaws were present in the previous book, where the reveal of Mary/Jenna was, in words of the critics, 'shown for the sake of a having a heroine and a love interest for the protagonist', but the fans didn't care, for they found Mary to be a great character in her own right. But the third book had turned the lovable characters into something of caricatures; Noah was turned from a hot-headed and cocky, yet tough and an all-loving hero, into an impulsive, constantly raging buffoon, whose image wasn't as squeaky clean as it was established in the previous two books; Derricks went from a sly, but intelligent archer, who was a friendly rival to Noah, into a perverted idiot; and Mary, good lord Mary, she was turned into a damsel in distress, constantly needing to be rescued by either the heroes, or even nearly brainwashed by Tyrone.

Andy, as a result him being coddled by praise and being tempted by fortune for far too long, had developed a strong admiration for his own work, and as a consequence, an abhorrence to criticism. Sadly, the more he had bouts of lashing out of legitimate criticism that gradually turned off fans, the more he was fueling the rising flak the third book had gotten.

Secondly, and perhaps most tragically, is Daniella's own tragedy. In 1998, During the wedding anniversary party hosted by Andy himself, she, whilst drunk, was on the second floor of the mansion, but then the heel broke just after taking a first step downwards. This resulted in her falling down and breaking several of her bones, particularly on her legs. This had led to her being confined to a wheelchair. And what's worse, just after he had taken her to the hospital for the imminent childbirth, during this whole stressful thing, one thing had always worried him, when the pregnancy was announced by Daniella: miscarriage. Yet, it happened, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

He could remember the hysterical pleading he had shouted to the doctor about the condition of his wife, the fleshy corpse the nurse had presented to his unknown eyes, and soon, him being kicked out. He could recall the shrieks of horror Daniella had emitted, when she went through that horrific experience.

The miscarriage brought about a darker side of him.

The summoning of Ashari...

...The forming of the cult, known as Broken Souls...

...His merciless murder of Daniella...

...His disowning of Thomas, who left him...

...and finally, his own career tanking.

After a bit of recalling his mysterious, yet shattered past, he begins to think of a new way to end his final book. Whenever he is thinking, he would do one of the four actions: tapping his index finger on the board of the table, pacing left and right, reading a book, or simply biting the clean feather. In this case, he is doing the first, listening to the everlasting ticking of the grandfather clock from far away. After a few minutes of nothing but tapping it and hearing it, an idea suddenly comes up to his mind.

"Eureka!" he exclaims in excitement. After putting out the typewriter to the wooden box beneath the table, he pulls out from the same out a new sheet of paper, a small bottle of ink and a new writing feather. He has obviously remembered his late wife's advice, during his early adulthood. Looking at the unfinished book, he says, "Now... it's time to get out of here and look for the inspiration behind a perfect location on the final battle."

As soon as he picks up the equipment and gets up from the chair, he immediately sets out to go outside, after being sheltered for so long. After opening the door and going outside, he looks at the current state of it. Around the hills, the place where his mansion has completed its building stage in 1989, is now under the state of gradual decay; it has the misplaced, or broken, or missing roof tiles, the few of the windows being broken, probably from either the hooligans throwing their rocks, or during Andy's bouts of hysterical rage, the door roof having several holes, and missing '9' for the year. Few seconds pass of him staring at it, before proceeding to continue to walk, taking in the low breeze that gently pushes the high grass, the still-shining golden yellow sun that brings about the sunlight, and the eternally navy-blue sky, with the amorphous white, thick, poofy smoke slowly floating there. Of course, he stops by upon spotting a drilled, middle-size hole.

He kneels down and looks at it. But all he sees is a wooden ladder, that descends to the endless darkness... or so it seems. "That surely must mean something..." he murmurs.

Curiosity has taken over his mind, as he begins to climb down the ladder. The deeper he goes, the sound of the metal being stepped is reverberated and echoed louder and louder, until he steps out of it and lands onto the rocky ground, added by the last thumping sound. What he sees is fascinating beyond his taste: the deep darkness is actually a small cave hall, with tons of shining, colorful, sharp crystals, and because of that, the walls are colored in bright, yet eye-pleasing colors, such as yellow, orange, blue and more. As he continues to walk around the short path, his black holes of eyes are widened in surprise of what he's now seeing. But, as soon as he gets out of the entrance... the color from the crystals gets sucked out like a black hole.

He's now standing in the giant cave, which have the more dull-grey colors on the stone walls, along with the rocky icicles hanging. Beneath the rock with a sharp edge lies a huge pit that has big amounts of black, sticky tar, which is flashed by four flashlights placed in a way similar to a square. He walks onto the edge, ignoring the slight cracking beneath the foot.

"I have written this masterpiece since day one," Andy starts to proclaim proudly, now standing at the end of it, "and now I'll finish it very soon!" His proclamation is so noisy, that it echoes, much like how he has descended into the cave.

Little does he know, is the cracking of the stone gets a bit more louder, and the crack extends underneath him. By the time he finally realizes it, it's too little, too late, as the edge completely crumbles, resulting in him falling down and screaming in fear. Upon landing onto the pit, he attempts to get up, only for him to find out that his face, hands, feet and clothing are glued to the tar. He first screams for help in a desperate attempt to get the miners' attention.

None of the miners are there for the moment.

Then, gradually, the tar starts to sink his whole body, starting with the calves. Completely unaware on what's happening now, he continues to shout even louder and complete with a degradation to rambling, though gurgled and filled with choking and coughing, thanks to the face being covered in tar. However, when the realization has come, his body is completely submerged, leaving his head as its' final part to be sunk into it. Only a few bubbles have come out, ever since the head has been immersed in tar.

He has paid his own stupidity...

...And now his life has been taken away by it...

It has been few days, since Andy's disappearance. As soon as the workers have come back to the cave to inspect the current state of it, they end up discovering a giant, black monster, covered in tar.

The fate of the workers remain unknown.


End file.
